Joseph f



UNITED STATESl PATENT. OFFICE.

JOSEPH F. REEVES, JR., OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

APPARATUS FOR STEAMING OYSTERS AND PRESERVING FRUIT.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 44,340, dated September 20, 1864.

To all whom fit may concern:

Beit known that I, JOSEPH F. REEVES, Jr., of the city and county of Baltimore, and State of Maryland, have invented a new and useful Apparatus for Steaming Oysters; and I do hereby declare that the following specification and accompanying drawings are sufficient to enable any person skilled in the art or science to which it most nearly appertains to make and use the same without further invention or ex periment.

rIhe nature of my invention consists in a Water-tight car fitted for steaming oysters and processing or preserving fruits and vegetables arranged on a rail-track, on which it is run to and from the boiler which supplies the steam to heat it.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I will proceed to describe its construction and the mode of using it.

Referring to the drawings, in which the same letters indicate like parts in each of the figures, Figure 1 is an elevation of the apparatus. Fig. 2 is a plan or top view. Fig. 3 is an elevation of the end of the car.

In these drawings, Ais a car or tank, made Water-tight, of some suitable materials, and properly mounted on the` wheels B B, which are arranged to run on the rail-track O O, to facilitate rnnning'or moving the car to and from the steam-boiler D in working the apparatus.

The top of the car A is closed by two doors, E E, hinged to the sides of the car, and they may be packed and fastened in some convenient manner to make the car nearly steamtight, and so that the doors can be readily opened and closed in working the apparatus.

To supply the steam necessary to open the oysters and heat the Water for preserving fruit, (technically called processing,) I arrange a perforated steam-pipe, F, (shown by dotted lines in Fig. 1,) on the inside of the car, along each side of the car and across the rear end. This pipe F projects through the front end of the car and is connected to the perpendicular pipe G, which is coupled to the pipe H from the boiler D, so as to be readily released and connected when working the apparatus.

The perforated pipe J is connected to the upper end of the pipe G, and is made in form like the pipe F, and extends along each side and across the rear end of the oar, like the pipe F, about two-thirds'of the Way from the bottom to the top, as represented in Fig. 1.

The steam may be shut out of the pipe J by the stop-cock K, and only the pipe F used in heating water to preserve fruit or vegetables; and there is a stop-cock, L, in the pipe H to graduate the supply of steam to the car and to shut it oi when coupling or uncoupling the pipes G and H.

The rack M is arranged six or eight inches from the bottom of the car to hold the oysters steamed out of the Water and dirt which may collectin the bottom of the car, and this rack is supported by the cleats at each end and in thc center, as shown by dotted Alines at N N, Fig. 1, and the center cleat has some scores across the under side, so that the water can run to the rear of the car and run out through the cock P, in the rear end of the car, when the mud may be removed with a shovel after taking out the rack.

In using my apparatus for steaming' oysters I ll the car with oysters and run it to the steam-boiler and couple the pipes Gv and H, turn the cock L, and let the steam from the boiler into the car among the oysters by both of the pipes F and J, the cock K being open, and if the steam is about thirty-five pounds pressure to the square inch it will cook the oysters sufficiently for packing in from iive to eight minutes, when the steam-pipe may be uncoupled and the car run back, and another car from a side track run up to the boiler and coupled and steamed while the oysters are being removed from the first car steamed, and the car run back and switched onto the side track and filled with oysters ready to run to the boiler.

In preserving or processing fruit and vegetables I ill a car half full of Water, and shut the steam out of the pipe J by the cock K, and heat the Water to the boiling-point by pipe F, and immerse the hermetically-sealed cans of fruit and vegetables in the boiling water and let them remain fifteen or twenty minutes, then take them out and perforate a small hole, let out the air and vapor, and solder up the hole and put them in cold Water, which may be in another car conveniently near the car with hot water.

My improved apparatus can be made far cheaper and operated much quicker, with far for steaming oysters and processing or preservless labor and with far less pressure ofsteam, ing fruit and vegetables, the rail-track on which than any other apparatus heretofore invented it runs to and from the boiler which supplies for the same purpose. the steam to heat it. What I claim as my invention and improvement in apparatus for steaming oysters and JOSE 1H F REEVES JR processing or preserving fruit and vegetables Vitnesses: is- J. DENNIS, Jr.,

In combination with a Water-tight ear fitted DAN ROWLAND. 

